Author's Explanation

Love is like Jazz. You make it up as you go along and you act as if you really know the song. But you don't, and you never will. So you flaunt your mistakes, and you make them until they were you. Love is like jazz. The same song a million times in different ways. "Strange Fruit" with and without wind chimes. It's divine. It's asinine. It's depressing, and it's almost entirely window dressing. But it'll do.

-Love is Like Jazz; The Magnetic Fields

I am a lover of Jazz music. I also love writing with a song in mind. And so, I decided to dedicate a series of fics with Jazz songs as the motivation and backdrop. This is the "Love Is Like Jazz" Series. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!

Author's Notes: This story was inspired by "You Don't Know Me" by Ray Charles. This is the first story in the "Love Is Like Jazz" Series.
Poke/Pocahontas is a character that I created.

You Don't Know Me

You give your hand to me then you say hello
I can hardly speak; my heart is beating so
And anyone can tell, you think you know me
Well, you don't know me

No you don't know the one who dreams of you at night
And longs to kiss your lips and hold you tight
To you I'm just a friend, that's all I've ever been
Well you don't know me

I never knew the art of making love
Though my heart aches with love for you
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
The chance that you might love me too

You give your hand to me and then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
And you will never know the one who loved you so
Well, you don't know me

-Ray Charles

You Don't Know Me
By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter 1: Alone Again, Naturally

Outside the Newsboys Lodging House, Poke's dark brown eyes were focused on the delicate hand of Sarah Jacob, which was being stroked gently by Jack Kelly's rugged tan hand. A small smile formed on her lips as she let out a longing sigh. They say that "love is a many splendored thing," and she agreed whole-heartedly with it.

She had never been in love before, but it was all she ever thought about. She hadn't yet found that special someone, but she couldn't wait until she did. She was longing for a love story of her own.

"Hellooo… Pocahontas, snap out of it!" Skittery said as he waved his hand in front of her face.

Poke jumped slightly, alarmed at being caught. She blushed and gave him a shy, embarrassed smile.

"What was so interesting over there, huh?" he asked looking at the direction of Sarah and Jack.

"Oh, nothing…" Poke said, hoping he wouldn't question her anymore.

Skittery just shrugged. "So, have you already found a selling partner?" he asked.

"Not yet." she answered, somewhat embarrassed. A lot of the newsies had regular selling partners, but Poke was new to it, so she didn't always know with whom she'd be selling. On her very first day of being a newsie, she sold all by herself. While she was selling, she ran into Skittery and Swifty, who had introduced her to the rest of the newsies.

"You don't have anyone to sell with?" Kid Blink asked overhearing the conversation. "I'll sell with you since you don't got anyone, okay?" He said it more as a statement than a question.

Poke smiled her consent, thankful that Kid Blink had saved her from the embarrassment of not having anyone to sell with.

"Hey, Poke, are you selling with me a Skittery today?" Swifty called over to her.

Poke made her way over to Swifty through the crowd of Newsies.

"I'm selling with Kid Blink today, but thanks for asking," Poke said.

"Great! I'm glad that you're getting to meet some other newsies," Swifty said.

Kid Blink was a friendly, outgoing type of guy, so he felt it was his obligation to help out one of the newer newsies. After all, she was a girl. He couldn't quite remember her name, but he'd learn it soon.

"Hey Mush, I'll be selling with the new girl today," Blink told his friend.

"You mean that one?" Mush asked pointing to her.

"Yeah, but don't point! Anyway, what's her name again?" Blink asked.

"I think it's Poke- like short for Pocahontas, you know, since she's an Indian," Mush said.

"Yeah, yeah, I knew that. Seems like she's real quiet, and she had no one to sell with… I felt kinda sorry for her, so I offered my services," Kid Blink shrugged.

Mush laughed, "Always a gentleman?"

Blink laughed along, "At least one of us is one!"

"Aw, shuddap!" Mush said slapping Blink.

"Hey!" Blink slapped him back. "So, uh, how'd she become a newsie, anyway?"

"I can't remember. Skittery would know. Hey Skittery!" Mush called.

"What?" Skittery asked, sounding annoyed. Skittery was always in a bad mood, so this wasn't unusual.

"Tell us how Poke became a newsie, will ya? Blink wants to know," Mush said jabbing Blink in the ribs.

"She had to get a job to help out her family, kinda like Dave, except she doesn't have a father," Skittery explained.

"You know, Kid, she's really pretty. I'm surprised she ain't found a better looking partner to sell with," Mush joked.

"What're ya tryin' to say, huh? I'm a fine looking newsie!" Kid Blink straightened his back and held his head up high in the stance of a wealthy gentleman, as he took a look at Poke who blushed when she saw him. "Hey, you know, she's really pretty. I don't know why I didn't notice her before…"

"Maybe it's because you only saw her with one eye," Mush laughed lifting up his friend's eye patch, revealing a perfectly normal, well-seeing eye.

"Hey, put that back down, or you'll ruin my selling tactics!" Kid Blink pulled the patch back on his eye.

Mush grabbed the eye patch off of Blink's head and started taunting him as Blink chased after him for it.

Skittery rolled his eyes at Mush and Blink who were fighting over an eye patch. They were interrupting his thoughts about the girl he was smitten over. There was something about her cinnamon colored skin and warm brown eyes, and how her long black hair ran down her back, and the way she stood so tall and strong. She was Native American, and Skittery was sure that she must have been a daughter of a great Indian Chief- like Pocahontas. He was the one who started calling her that, and everyone else just followed his lead. Her name went from Pocahontas to Poke, but Skittery only ever called her by the name of the Indian Princess.

It wasn't just her beauty that attracted him. Her shyness was quite appealing to him. He wasn't exactly a very outgoing guy himself; part of the reason was that he just didn't like a lot of people. Yet, it seemed whenever he was around her, he didn't quite know what to say or do. He was fine with the guys, but he was a flunk with girls, especially the ones he liked. And he most certainly liked Pocahontas. Whenever he saw her, his heart would start pounding so hard, he was sure that she could hear it, his palms would get sweaty, and he didn't know what to say.

He thought that by asking whether she had a selling partner, he might get a chance to volunteer himself, but that plan backfired when Kid Blink had to stick his nose into their conversation. He'd tell the Kid about his interest in Pocahontas at the end of the day when she was out of hearing range. But for now, he'd just try to sell.

"Hey Skittery, you need someone to sell with?" Swifty asked.

"Get lost," Skittery said.

"Fine, glum-n-dumb, I was just tryin' to be nice," Swifty said running off in the other direction.

"Extry, extry, read all about it," Skittery said uninterestedly watching his Indian Princess and Blink going off together as he walked away. Alone.